Process of washing fibrous materials.



Patented July 3|, I900.

E. KOPPELMANN.

PROGESSOF WASHING FIBROUS MATERIALS (Application filed 110v. 11, 1899.)

' (Nu mum.

If'pul [Doienr WITNESSES INVENTDR wjqgpzw ATT'Y establishments forfiltering liquor.

PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE KdPPELMANN, OF NEW roan, N11.

PROCESS orwAsl-lmcrlsaous MATERIALS.

srncrrzcanon forming 5m of Letters Patent No. 654,647, dated .m 31,1900.

Application filed November 11, 1899. sent! No. 736,692. (No speolmensi)To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE K5PPELMANN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Bronx,county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Processes of Washing Fi brous Materials, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to the cleaning of fibrous, granular, or otherfinely-separated material employed in the various arts and manufactures.

I have invented a new process and method of cleaning any material whenin a loose state wherever that result'may be accomplished by a directand turbulent agitation of the material and either with or without theadditional application of water, hot or cold, steam, or either of them.

Many different kinds of raw material require cleansing before use, andmany kinds are used as media for straining, purifying, and otherpurposes in the'different arts and manufactures, particular referencebeing made to the use of a fibrous pulp in brewing- It is the custom inbrewing maltous liquors immediately before shipment to strain the liquoras it comes from the storage-casks through filtersunder pressure inorder to clarify it and remove any sediment or other impuritiesresultant from the brew of the same. This is done by passing the beer orother liquor through filters in which are placed layers of differentsubstance-such as a pulp of fibrous material, either cotton, wood, orany other suitable fiber, or charcoal, sand, sponge, and like material,closely packed'-which is designed to catch said impurities and to strainand filter the liquor when it is forced through the same by pressure.The media after frequent use must be washed and thoroughly cleaned,

move extraneous substances foreign to the same and leave the fiber inits proper clean condition. The dirt so removed may be carried oif bymeans of water or other suitable medium.

I have limited the illustration of my process to the cleansing offibrous pulp; but this is done without limitation and with the statementthat the process is just as effective with all other media. Purelymechanical means of agitation by means of revolving paddles have beenfound to injure the fiber and to make the same lumpy and often unfit foruse.

The object of my invention is to provide a method of cleansing materialof a fibrous, granular, or separated nature by means of a rapid,uniform, and continuous agitation of the material, whereby n0 inj urywill be caused and the material after being cleaned will be in aseparated and fiuify and good condition. I have illustrated the mode ofpracticing my invention by an apparatus especially designed for theapplication of the same to the cleansing of filter media used by brewersand shown in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer tolike parts throughout both figures.

Figure I is a longitudinal section of an apparatus used in my process.Fig. II is a cross-section of the same above the supplypipes.

1 is a tank provided with systems of piping for the introduction of air,water, hot or cold, and steam, all under pressure, of such an amountdeterminable upon the nature, condition, and volume of the material tobe cleaned. sieves 5 6. l

5 is a cylindrical wire sieve extending around the inside of the tankand resting upon The tank is supplied with two an angle-iron secured tothe interior of the shown in Fig. 1-1, for the purpose of erercisebullient condition. The introductionot the mass of material,whatever that mayconsist on and either hot water or steam is introducedtangentially, so asto direct' the pressure of fiber andkeeping the samewell separated.

as coldthrough the same pipe. 7 One set of these piping systems isintroduced into the tank on the side and near its bottom, but directlyabove the sieve 6. They are connected the supply in substantiallythatdirection,

ing a'pressure upon the internal mass in or-- der to give it arevolutionary motion.- Another system is connected directly to the bottom of the tank, with the supply directing its pressure upward. Thesepipesare all provided with suitable valves for regulatingt-he supply.Pipes-are also provided at4 and 2 2 for drawing oil? the foul waterandcleansing.

thesieve. .The pipe 14 will draw ofi all wa'-..

ter in the tank, and drain the media before're-z moval after. the sameare cleansed. V The pulp or mass to be cleaned'is put into thetank andthoroughly soaked in cold wa-= ter and at the same time air underapressure of about ten pounds is introduced through all the ports. Theentrance of the air and water through the bottom of the tank has apres-" sure directly upwa'rd and keeps it well sepaa] rated. and theentire mass in a turbulent and water and air from the side ports, theybeing tangentially arranged, causes the mass to revolve and whirl inaddition to its motion from" the upward pressure of the lower parts. Theresult is that the mass is thoroughly and rapidly agitated, the waterand air reaching every The pressure of air, steam, and water must beusedin .suflicient quantity to keep the of, in a violent state ofvturbidityand agita-. tion". The dirty 'orfoul water is continuallyflowing off. After themass is well soaked and such impurities as may beremoved by cold water disappear the cold water is turned in addition tothe air to more thoroughly cleanse the mass from impurities by means ofa higher temperature. This hot water or steam, together with air underpressure, is allowed to circulate in the same manner until the mass isin a proper condition, afterwhich the pulp or media is taken out.

It will be noticed that the principal cleans ing factorin, this systemis the air, and experiment has shown that the fiber will absorb aconsiderable amount of oxygen from the airthus introduced, the efiect ofwhich is to freshen the same andgive it considerable life, which itotherwise would not have.

be as clean and pure as possible. The use of air in connection with coldwater, hot water, or steam is an advantage of considerable importance.Many materials while being cleansed may be injured by the applicationoftoo much heat, and if water or steam alone were used-to get an ebullienteflfect upon the massof material it would be necessary to raise thetemperature of the water to boiling-point v To get a the best eflfectsfrom the air, the same should '-.in order to do so. The introduction ofvair [under pressure causessuch an i ebullient ef- -fect at'anytemperature which may be necesand no injurious effects to material canresult. This treatment gives the fiber a cer- .tain amount ofelasticity, which prevents the 7 same from packing too closely whenplaced in zthefilters, and. in this'way makes better straining media?Where granular or finelydiyjidedmaterial is to be cleaned, the eiTect ofthelintroductioniot theair under pressure is I found inthe.thoroughcleaningof each indi- .vidual grain and? particle, as themass is kept fcontinu'ally in'a" divided or separated state h e ei shamiaware that priorto m-yinvention fil-,

to ghavebeenin-vented and'used with appaandiwaterto cleanse and purifythe bed'of the fi'lter-while in use in such filter, and I do not:5claim. any application of my process to use. qThe fundamental featureof my proci'slthe rapid and-violent ebullition and.

ag ifi tionfof, theentire mass by means of a ratu's-joon'nectedtherewith for applying air.

any'filter:or-fllter-bedwhilethe same is in.

tauge'ntialand. perpendicular application of force operating on the saidmass coming from the {introduction of air, water, and steam withsufficient pressure to accomplishthe desired result. Thetangentialpressure causes the material to revolve and work toward the center-ofthe vessjehand the perpendicular pressure continually lifts the materialfrom thebottom and drives it toward the sides of the vess'el,whiletlie'opposing pressures, together with the ebullition caused by thepassage of the air through the water and mass cause the fibers andparticles of the media to keep separate and travelin all directions tersPatent of the United States, is-

within the vessel-with great speed, resulting 1. Themethod of treatingfinely-divided material while contained in a suitable vessel,

which consists of a tangential application of airand water to saidmaterial, uudersuflicient pressure tocause the material to be violentlyandrapidly agitated. Y I I 2.:The method of treating finely-divided:material. while contained in a suitable vessel,

which consists of a tangential and perpendicular application to saidmaterial of water and air-under such pressure as will causethe same-tobe violently and 'rapidly'a gita'ted.

3. The. method of treating finely-divided material, while contained in asuitable vessel, which consists of a direct tangential and perpendicular application to said material of air, I

and steam under such pressure as will cause said material to becomeviolentlyand rapidly agitated.

4. The method of treating finely-divided material, which consists of atangential and perpendicular application to said material, of air, waterand steam under such pressure as will-cause said material to becomeviolently .water until said material is properly cleaned, lo and rapidlyagitated. substantially as and for the purposes de- 5. The method ofcleaning finely-divided scribed. material, which consists of a continualappli- Signed by me at the city of New York, N. Y., cation of air andwater at a proper temperathis 1st day of November, 1899.

ture, to said material under such pressure and EUGENE KGPPELMANN. insuch a. manner as .will cause, the material Witnesses: to be rapidly andviolently agitated and dis- GEORGE M. S. SGHULZ,

turbed, and the continual removal of dirty- AUGUST 0. DAUM.

